


toss and turn

by lieanni (alphabetsleuth)



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Demons, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Demon Jung Wooyoung, Humor, M/M, Student Choi San
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:55:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27904819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alphabetsleuth/pseuds/lieanni
Summary: Wooyoung is San’s sleep paralysis demon.
Relationships: Choi San/Jung Wooyoung
Comments: 8
Kudos: 60





	toss and turn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cosywoo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosywoo/gifts).



> For Venus, the loml, whose message “woosan is my sleep paralysis demon” inspired this work. Your brain is, without a doubt, the sexiest crumpled up map.
> 
> Also, this is my decision to take a break from writing for ateez spiraling down the drain because I am weak for woosan.

Due to a whole range of reasons - sure, he’s spent six hours a day gaming ever since he got his Switch last week, but there are other reasons too, okay - San has definitely not been getting enough sleep recently.

He regrets it when he has to wake up at an ungodly hour in the morning, aka 11AM, for mandatory lecture or when he has to stay awake trying to finish papers that he swears weren’t listed on the syllabus.

Still, none of that compares to the regret he feels now, lying paralyzed on his bed as the shadow on his wall grows larger and larger. San would shut his eyes, but he’s so petrified that he _can’t,_ because the thing that the shadow belongs to is currently standing right next to his bed.

San swallows. He’s not religious, but he prays anyways, promising whoever is out there that he will stop playing the Switch so much and start calling his parents more. Then, pupils quivering, he shifts his gaze over to the other side of the bed.

He thought sleep paralysis demons were supposed to look terrifying, but this one looks...handsome?

San briefly wonders how long it usually takes for someone to get Stockholm Syndrome. Maybe he’ll Google it if he makes it out of this alive.

“Please don’t hurt me,” he whispers, staring up at the demon. Or at least what he assumes to be a demon - the creature looks completely human save the two black horns growing from its head, and a flick behind the creature alerts San to the fact that it has a matching black tail.

The demon _frowns_ at him. “Honestly, I couldn’t even if I wanted to. It’s against the rules.”

San blinks at the demon, eyes wide. “What do you mean?”

The demon sighs, exasperated, which annoys San a bit because he doesn’t think it’s an outlandish question to ask all considering. “I’m just here to scare you a bit until your sleep paralysis goes away. I’m not allowed to physically hurt you.”

“Oh, word? Only mental scarring is allowed?” San asks, with absolutely zero regard for his own life.

The demon actually laughs, and the sound is a lot more high-pitched than San thought it would be. In fact, San would even call it cute if he weren’t, y’know. Talking to a demon in his bedroom while completely immobilized. Not exactly a meet cute.

“Yeah, I guess so. Anyways, can’t say I didn’t do my job, because you looked pretty terrified when I first walked up to you. I can’t go away, though, until you can finally move again, so. Just give it a minute or two, and I’ll be out of here.”

“Were you supposed to, like, scare me more?”

“Who are you, Lucifer?” the demon snorts. At the confusion on San’s face, he continues, “Lucifer is my boss. He’s the one who assigned me here after my, uh, unfortunate slip-up last week. Usually, only brand new demons get assigned to sleep paralysis gigs, so for me, it’s a punishment of sorts.”

“Oh,” San responds.

“Yeah, so the less I have to do, the better. Not really a big fan of transforming just so humans like you will piss yourselves in your sleep.”

Before San can interject, the demon carries on, apparently now invested in his rant. “Also, what do you mean scare you _more_? You were so scared that you, someone who has never stepped foot inside of a church in your entire life, prayed for you-know-who to save you.” The demon rolls his eyes for emphasis. “Humans really are foolish.”

San purses his lips. “Okay, yeah, but you’re the one who got demoted to having to do this instead of, I dunno, other scary demon shit. So.”

The demon rolls his eyes, and San jumps a bit at the realization that it doesn’t have pupils. He’s not bothered for too long, though, because the demon also smiles at the quip, and San thinks that he’s really gonna die today as a result of his own thirst. 

“Anyways,” the demon sighs. “It appears that your paralysis is fading now, so I’ll get on my way.”

Just as it says, San can feel the invisible lock on his limbs fading away, and he doesn’t think he’s ever been so happy about being able to just wiggle his fingers.

“Thank you,” he calls out after the demon, who has turned away from him and is half-dissolving into shadow. The demon turns towards him, again, and it's pretty terrifying that half of its body has lapsed into the dark, but honestly the rush of adrenaline at being left alive is enough to convince San not to care.

“For what?” the demon asks.

“For, uh. Not scaring me super badly, I guess,” San replies, hoping that his response doesn’t sound as stupid as he feels right now.

The demon laughs, and San can’t help but smile back, no matter how much he wants to slap himself for doing so.

“No problem. It was nice meeting you, San.”

San wants to ask why the demon knows what his name is, but the creature has already vanished, dissolving into the shadows of his room. Anyways, San figures that, after everything that just happened, it’s really not shocking that the demon would know his name. He rolls over and goes back to sleep.

The insanity of it all hits San the moment he wakes up. He gets out of bed, retrieves his Switch from the desk, and puts it back into the packaging, then texts Yunho asking if he’d like to borrow it for the week. For now, he pushes the console under his bed, just out of reach, then plops back down onto his sheets and thinks about how he was really about to risk it all for a sleep paralysis demon. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. 
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/alphabetsleuth) | [cc](https://curiouscat.qa/alphabetsleuth)


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